Epidemiology of gastrointestinal stroma tumours (GIST) in Germany 2003 - 2021: Rising incidence and improved survival

This article provides an overview of changes of the incidence, stage distribution, and survival of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) in Germany between 2003 and 2021.

Data on the incidence, TNM categories, UICC stage, and survival with respect to GIST in Germany were obtained from the national Centre for Cancer Registry data at the Robert Koch-Institute (Berlin, Germany).

The age-standardized incidence was 1.6 (men) and 1.4 (women) per 100,000 for the 2021 diagnosis year and has increased approximately threefold in the years since 2003. The most commonly reported GIST UICC stage in 2020 was stage I (men: 53%, women: 39%). The proportion of small tumours (TNM-T category 1) has increased between 2010 and 2020. The 5-year relative survival rate for individuals with GIST improved from 74% to 82% (men) and from 80% to 88% (women) between the 2003-2008 and 2014-2021 time periods, respectively.

In line with national and international data, the incidence of GIST in Germany increased between 2003 and 2021, while survival has improved in the same time period after the introduction of imatinib for adjuvant treatment of GIST in Germany in the year 2009. An increasing number of small endoscopically detected lesions may have contributed to the rising incidence of GIST. Primary care physicians should be aware of the increasing frequency of GIST. With the collection of detailed therapy data and information on prognostic markers, further evaluations of clinical issues will also be possible in the future using German cancer registry data.